After a trip to the playa I have a kite that has some leading edge fray where the stiff cell forming material meets the soft fabric at nearly every cell seam.

I guess this just proves the playa is pretty hard on kites. Is this a typical wear location when flying on the playa?

Is there any special fix for this other than the typical sail tape etc?

A side question: how long does the average kite usually last with average usage? 1 year? 2 years? What's your experience?

I have some smaller PKD Brooza's with heavy mylar-backed dacron stiffening fabric at the front of the ribs to hold the shape. The 2m I bought used had minimal Playa use (a few days I think), but enough to cut through the top skin in spots where it folded into the ribs at the leading edge. Playa is abrasive, way more so than beach sand. I think really crisp ripstop doesn't help here either, as it makes for sharp creases that abrade through easily.

I picked the seams open and sewed some dacron reinforcing triangles at the seams in those areas using a free arm machine and then closed it back up. It was time consuming, but it works well.

Flying on grass and snow, and only making it t the coast 1x a year, I have had kites soft and limp but still flying OK after 4 years. Leading edges are still in good shape. Ice and corn snow is hard on 'em, but nothing like playa dust.

krumly

Yeah that's where mine are splitting/fraying. Right where the rib attachments are.
Thanks for the notes.

Maybe jsut applying sticky back over the seam from the outside will be enough. You can get sticky back heavy dacron, called "insignia cloth" from places like KiteStudio (http://www.kitebuilder.com/kitestudio.html). It is heavier than ripstop.

You could hand stitch the edges if you can't get a machine arm in there or don't want to open the trailing edge to turn the cell inside out. Seems like a spot for companies to consider installing additional reinforcing.

krumly

Quote:

[quoteSeems like a spot for companies to consider installing additional reinforcing.

I was thinking the same thing..

I may try some of that dacron tape or ripstop tape. My sewing skills are pretty lacking I'd probably do more damage than good.

Again thanks for the notes.